Trash and Debris Booms: The Most Practical Tool to Control Floating Waste
The spread of pollution on the surface of the world's waters makes floating booms an essential tool for controlling and directing waste. There are many types and applications of floating boom barriers. For more information, you can refer to the article on floating booms. The Trash and debris boom is a type of boom used to prevent floating trash from spreading. The purpose of this article is to introduce trash and debris booms, their applications, structure, installation guide, and so on.
Below, you can access the headings of this article:
- What is the trash and debris boom?
- Types of debris booms
- Applications and Configuration of debris booms
- Floating debris boom installation guide
- Conclusion
What is the trash and debris boom?
Debris Booms (also called trash booms) are floating barriers that contain and control pollution in waterways such as ponds, rivers, channels, and canals. Placing a floating debris boom strategically will divert gross pollutants into a catchment area where they can be collected from the waterway. Increasing water pollution has made trash and debris booms one of the most practical tools for controlling and collecting debris in recent years. Therefore, choosing the right type crucial.
Types of debris booms
Floating debris booms eliminate the spread of plastic trash, debris, leaves, timber, and other aquatic plants. There have been successful implementations of these containment booms with marine-grade fabrics and components in different marine environments. Debris booms are made in three different models based on the water conditions:
- Calm Water Booms
- Fast Water Booms
- Open Water Booms
Applications and Configuration of debris booms
The purpose of these trash booms is to prevent the spread of trash, plastics, debris, and seaweed/sargassum. They can contain, deflect, or secure a perimeter against:
- Floating Debris
- Wood piles
- Timbers
- Trash
- Aquatic Plants
- Sargassum
For more information about these debris boom types and their application, check out our products.
The most basic design is a string of single logs connected by a chain, ring, and toggle. In this design, the boom sticks and connections carry the tensile load in the boom. This design can be modified to attach boom sticks to a continuous wire rope that supports the load. Debris booms are provided with an upstream smooth face to facilitate the sliding of debris along the boom. They can be anchored to one shore and maintained in place in the current with fins or rudders or may be anchored at intermediate points using pilings or submerged anchors.
Another debris boom design intended to control heavy debris loads is the cable or net boom. This boom consists of a net of two or three wires with cross tics hung from a flotation member that may be timber or any other suitable material. The main advantage of such a boom is its extremely high strength. In most cases, intermediate anchors are unnecessary for timber booms due to the high tensile strength of the cable. The most significant disadvantage may be the difficulty of cleaning the boom. Today with Tech advancements Debris booms are constructed from high-quality fabrics or HDPE corrugated double-walled sheets.
Floating debris boom installation guide
Installing a floating debris boom generally involves the seven following steps. Depending on the site, additional designs, layouts, and performance requirements may be required.
Step1: Lay out your bundles/sections of debris boom along the shoreline.
Step2: Slide together the aluminum section connectors.
Step3: If applicable to your debris boom, connect the grommet eyes of the sections using rope ties or heavy-duty zip ties.
Step4: Attach sections of the chain using shackles located at the bottom of the curtain.
Step5: Tow the curtain out into position.
Step6: If applicable, anchoring along the length of the boom is done by attaching the anchored buoy to the curtain through the use of a painter line.
Step7: If the skirt of the boom is tied up, these ties can now be released to allow the skirt to fully extend in the water.
Conclusion
As you read in this article, the use of trash and debris booms is increasing with the spread of pollution in the world's waters. Each boom has different applications and structures, so it is crucial to use the right debris boom for the required location. As a first step toward maximizing efficiency should consider the points mentioned in this article.
ADOR Tech as the Bolina Booms representatives in Canada offers a full range of Floating Booms Products and services. For more information, please contact us.